"One of their stated aims is to keep Welsh players playing in Wales so if that is a stated aim then they've certainly got to be involved in the decision-making process of how we set about that.

"Whether that's Toby Faletau or any other talented Welsh player that's coming towards the end of his contract.

"The bottom line with Toby is that he's still in contract here next season.

"Toby like Dan [Lydiate] and like any other talented young player will be targeted by other clubs that have more resource in terms of finance available."

Newport Gwent Dragons director of rugby Beale has
previously admitted
the region face a challenge to keep hold of Wales number eight Faletau.

Dan Lydiate
will leave the region at the end of the season and is expected to follow former Dragons Luke Charteris and Aled Brew (Biarritz) into French rugby.

Charteris has former Osprey James Hook as a Perpignan colleague while Gethin Jenkins (Toulon), Mike Phillips (Bayonne) and Lee Byrne (Clermont Auvergne) are among the other high-profile Welshmen in France.

And Beale says Wales' four regions will find it increasingly hard to keep hold of their Welsh stars unless they receive financial assistance.

"You're competing against teams who have huge budgets," he added.

"I'm certainly not suggesting that we go to those sorts of levels, but I think realistically the whole of Welsh rugby needs to revisit its aims and ambitions.

"If regional rugby and the four regions are to compete seriously within Europe then we need to increase levels of funding from wherever avenue that may come."

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Comments

The Dragons need to lose the Newport Gwent title. They need to actually be a region, not a region by name only - pretending to be Newport RFC. The Gwent and Caerphilly districts had some of the largest rugby crowds in Wales. Yes times do change, but shooting yourself in the foot by not being a true region has diminished paying supporters at the grounds = less finance, meaning less economic ability

Laughable. Asking the WRU for free money because they can't get their own houses in order and generate enough income to keep a good player? I wonder what the English F.A. would say if Man Utd asked for free hand-outs to keep Wayne Rooney at Man Utd or Steven Gerrard at Liverpool.

Every week it seems we have an article regarding a Welsh region asking for money or blaming someone else.

Not sure Wales, or any other smaller nation, can do much about losing their best players to other leagues in the long run... It's simple economics and a side effect of multi-national professional sport.

What I don't understand is why international selectors are so concerned with where their countrymen play... Look at England with Armitage.

As in anything in life you go where the money is, no talented player in the world is going to stay at any club or region for the love of the sport. Short time scale in rugby to earn some money, therefore the wage is more important, regardless if nations will not pick them for international duty.

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